Althouse: At the Smiling Tree Café...

September 23, 2020

At the Smiling Tree Café...

... you can talk about anything you like.

66 comments:

Joe Smith said...: Where's Bob Ross when you need him?; 9/23/20, 7:02 PM
Browndog said...: Not seeing a smile-

Seeing an old man of the woods yelling leave me the fuck alone you stupid fucking hipsters!.

That's what I see.....; 9/23/20, 7:18 PM
roesch/voltaire said...: Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.; 9/23/20, 7:32 PM
MadTownGuy said...: California governor signs executive order to ban gas-powered cars and trucks

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed an executive order to ban gas-powered cars and trucks in California by 2035, a move he said would cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than a third.

Plus, Newsom said he is directing the California Air Resources Board to establish regulations that require all new cars and passenger trucks be zero-emission vehicles by 2045 "where feasible."

The proposed rule would not ban people from owning gas-powered cars or selling them on the used car market. But it would end the sales of all new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in the state of nearly 40 million people. Over time, Newsom's team said this would mean hybrids would be phased out to be replaced by an EV, or electric vehicle, which "would be affordable to everybody."

"There will be price parity" in the years to come, Newsom hypothesized.

[...]

California Business Roundtable President Rob Lapsley said the "radical step" to ban internal combustion engines "makes no sense" and is a rushed decision, with no guarantee of affordability for many who live in an already-expensive state, Politico reported.

It also is likely to meet opposition from President Donald Trump, who wants to roll back tougher Obama-era auto emissions standards and is battling California to force it to comply. Newsom's team said they felt confident they would win in court if need be.

Others applauded the governor's move, but they did not think the ban was a panacea.

"We still need to reduce vehicle miles traveled, which stems from our abject failure to build sufficiently dense housing in our urban core near jobs and transit and leads to sprawl that contributes to climate change impacts regardless of fuel consumption," the Bay Area Council tweeted."

1. Electric vehicles "will be affordable to everybody." Riiiight.

2. They're not just going to put you in chains...they're going to move you out of the 'burbs into the projects.; 9/23/20, 7:33 PM
Browndog said...: I've often wondered why the left/media/commie bastards always latch on to police brutality cases involving blacks that aren't police brutality cases when there are hundreds of actual police brutality cases a year that never see the light of day.

Why is that?; 9/23/20, 7:34 PM
MadTownGuy said...: WAVE 3 News reporter, photographer confronted by protesters

"LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - WAVE 3 News reporter Kaitlin Rust and photographer James Dobson had to be escorted away and shielded by a security guard in Jefferson Square Park after being confronted by protesters Wednesday evening.

In the video, Rust is seen preparing to speak when a shirtless man blocks her and begins yelling expletives into the camera. A security guard hired by WAVE 3 News helps to push the man out of the way as he continues yelling. The camera shakes as if the two hit Dobson.

Others are seen crowding around the crew as security leads Rust away. The shirtless man continues yelling and pacing around the WAVE 3 News team, and at one point yells, “Get the f**k out of here!”

“Why are you here?” a woman is seen asking Rust.

"We have a crew marching with you,” Rust responds.

At that point, the shirtless agitator is again seen jumping into the camera, and Dobson, Rust and the security guard begin walking out of the park.

“Can we stop?” Rust asks as protesters continue yelling as they walk away.

Several seconds later as the crew continues walking away, Dobson’s camera is heard rattling and appears to be pushed out of his hands and lands on the ground."

Sounds like what happened to state Sen. Tim Carpenter.; 9/23/20, 7:43 PM
Browndog said...: Of note-

As you watch clips of the rioting and violence in yet another major American city tonight know that not one second of it was filmed by someone on the payroll of a mainstream media outlet after midnight.

Digital media and independent streamers provide nearly all the "eye-witness" news in America today.

Legacy media just steal it, then opine on what you should think of what you just saw.; 9/23/20, 7:50 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Biden's burisma is flaring up again

did Humper file under FARA, disclose the millions handled?

will it be "Backfire Hurricane" since the probe was looking
to find evidence that Trump & associates were taking money to act as
foreign agents without disclosing it???

Former senior Treasury worker pleads guilty to leaking secrets to a reporter about the Mueller investigation and probes into Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and Russian agent Maria Butina

Those leaks became the basis for a series of articles that appeared in BuzzFeed about Mueller's investigation of whether President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia, prosecutors said.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7883503/Ex-US-Treasury-worker-pleads-guilty-Russia-probe-leak.html

who will ask SloJo about this if his handlers let him out of the cellar?
Watch--He gets all "sundown-y"

Biden crime family and media guilty of what they have accused Trump of; 9/23/20, 7:51 PM
Kathryn51 said...: Apropos of the "Smiling Tree Café", I am smiling at the thought of the Dems/Libs/whatever eating their own as they publicly stab Sen Feinstein in the back. Questioning her . . . .what? stamina? intelligence? her reluctance to do scorched earth on Kavanaugh (left that to Kamala)? Too old at 87 years?

Data point: Senator Grassley, who chaired both the Gorsuch and Kavanaugh hearings, was 84 and 85 at the time (I believe). He continues to do yeoman's work (at age 87) of chairing the Senate Finance Committee.

Today's Dems remind me of Logan's Run: Kill Everyone Over 30 - unless they made it to very top secret tribunal.; 9/23/20, 8:04 PM
Big Mike said...: Louisville is going to be interesting to watch. It doesn't appear as though either Mayor Fischer or Governor Beshear (notwithstanding their Democrat affiliation) are going to tolerate rioting over the Breonna Taylor verdicts. Or were they faking it?

So far the score seems to be one wounded police office and three protesters shot by accident by a fourth protester.

Interesting.; 9/23/20, 8:10 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Leçons de Ténèbres, by Clive James (1939 )

But are they lessons, all these things I learn
Through being so far gone in my decline?
The wages of experience I earn
Would service well a younger life than mine.
I should have been more kind. It is my fate
To find this out, but find it out too late.

The mirror holds the ruins of my face
Roughly together, thus reminding me
I should have played it straight in every case,
Not just when forced to. Far too casually
I broke faith when it suited me, and here
I am alone, and now the end is near.; 9/23/20, 8:16 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: tweet of the day? per @EWErickson

"Hunter Biden is our Prince Andrew"; 9/23/20, 8:16 PM
historyDoc said...: Sorry I missed it earlier, but the dreaded Cindy McCain endorsement. That could swing the election. I'll be up all night worrying about this.; 9/23/20, 8:18 PM
Jaq said...: “We’ve got to have a massive legal operation, I know the Biden campaign is working on that… Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances” - HRC; 9/23/20, 8:24 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

It's a good thing you provided the direct quotes, in context, along with links to the actual audio/video. Otherwise people would just assume you were pulling shit out of your ass...; 9/23/20, 8:24 PM
Michael K said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

R/V has gone batshit. News at 11. Louisville is rioting on schedule. R/V, if you drive fast, you could probably make it by the time the last black owned business burns down.; 9/23/20, 8:25 PM
clint said...: roesch/voltaire said... "Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House; there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist."

Link?

On the flip side, here's Hillary Clinton advising Joe Biden not to concede the election under any circumstances:
https://nypost.com/2020/08/25/clinton-biden-should-not-concede-under-any-circumstances/; 9/23/20, 8:28 PM
Qwinn said...: Media trying to pretend the Senate report on Hunter is "old news". Bullshit. They followed the money. It's got a ton of new information and it's devastating. Makes it quite obvious why the entire Democrat establishment mobilized to impeach Trump just for asking about it. And every word Dems have claimed about "collusion" by Trump was pure projection. I just want once in my life to see projection NOT succeed in keeping the criminals that do it from going to prison.; 9/23/20, 8:32 PM
Big Mike said...: @MadTownGuy, did anyone think to ask Governor Newsom how the California electric grid is supposed to handle recharging millions of electric vehicles when it is already subject to rolling blackouts?; 9/23/20, 8:34 PM
narciso said...: Will jordan (the critical drinker) turns out to be a pretty good novelist.; 9/23/20, 8:34 PM
Ken B said...: Biden voters making the case for Trump tonight, especially in Louisville.; 9/23/20, 8:34 PM
Gospace said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

Not what he said- but while we're at it---

When will you stop beating your spouse and abusing young children?

As reasonable a question as the one Trump was asked- and I demand your answer- or we all will know you'll never stop.; 9/23/20, 8:35 PM
Yancey Ward said...: The big takeaway from the Breonna Taylor grand jury indictment/non-indictments is that pretty much every important "fact" discussed in the media was completely wrong. Were the media lying? Were the media's sources in the D.A.'s offices lying to them? Were the media just getting all of their information from Crump who wasn't in a position to know even Jack Squat?; 9/23/20, 8:38 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I remember when Grassley won his first Senate election- it was during the big Reagan landslide in 1980 over Carter.; 9/23/20, 8:40 PM
Jaq said...: Biden has Prince Harry’s endorsement, is he still a prince? Or is he just Harry Windsor now? I guess because Biden has promised to put the screws to the UK to undo their Brexit election, same as when he fired the prosecutor in the Ukraine who was looking into the looting of energy leases by Burisma.

it seems like these other countries’ internal affairs are front and center in whoever-it-is-that-is-running-Biden’s concerns. Probably because that’s where the really big untraceable graft comes from, influence peddling of American power to wealthy foreigners like the kleptocrats in Ukraine.; 9/23/20, 8:45 PM
Nichevo said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

9/23/20, 7:32 PM

If you believe what you were saying, which you don't, wouldn't you be a bit more frightened?; 9/23/20, 8:45 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Video SloJo didnt want to know what Humper was doing

if he wasnt senile, (and the media complicit)
it would be hard for him to live this down; 9/23/20, 8:46 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

9/23/20, 7:32 PM"

Indeed, start A Riot please good sir, otherwise...; 9/23/20, 8:47 PM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: On Jeopardy!

Alex Trebek: Ivar the Boneless.

Contestant: Who was the first documented ED patient?; 9/23/20, 8:53 PM
mandrewa said...: I think most people with a technical background know that nuclear energy is our best option for producing energy by several different metrics. But what I don't think most people, including many people with a technical background, know is that there are at least three fundamentally different ways to get energy by fission and that we have only used one of those pathways -- the light water reactor -- so far.

The two other main options, the molten salt reactor and the fast breeder reactor, are fundamentally different from the light water reactor. And both of them, but especially the molten salt reactor, are far safer than the light water reactor and cheaper to operate.

This hour long documentary, which is packed full of information, does a great job of explaining what the difference is between the technologies and the historical reasons for our standardization on the light water reactor and the consequences of that:

Gordon McDowell: Nuclear disasters and coolants; 9/23/20, 8:55 PM
Mark said...: Went to see a movie tonight, in an actual movie theater. Infidel, with Jim Caviezel, about a Christian who is kidnapped and transported to Iran, where all sorts of bad things happen.; 9/23/20, 8:57 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Fed up Reporters Blow Lid off Kamala’s Limited Availability,
One Says It ‘Has a Foul Stench of Insecurity’

https://www.redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2020/09/23/fed-up-reporters-blow-lid-off-kamalas-limited-availability-one-says-it-has-a-foul-stench-of-insecurity/

43 days and still hasnt formally taken Q's (not cues!) from press??
C'mon, man!!!; 9/23/20, 9:05 PM
Rory said...: "if he wasnt senile, (and the media complicit)
it would be hard for him to live this down"

It would be fun if someone asked him to define the difference between a conflict of interest and bribery/extortion.; 9/23/20, 9:08 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Biden Family Graft; 9/23/20, 9:14 PM
I'm Not Sure said...: "did anyone think to ask Governor Newsom how the California electric grid is supposed to handle recharging millions of electric vehicles when it is already subject to rolling blackouts?"

That's easy. Unicorns are going to start shitting high-capacity green renewable batteries. Any day now.; 9/23/20, 9:18 PM
narciso said...: This one

https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Ryan-Drake-Will-Jordan-ebook/dp/B0080K3W5W; 9/23/20, 9:18 PM
Michael K said...: I wonder how long it will take that mob to learn the identity of the Grand Jury? I'm sure some BLM supporter in KY government will leak it to them.

A reporter was asking about the racial makeup at the press conference today.; 9/23/20, 9:23 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: roesch/voltaire said:

Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

roesch/voltaire wouldn't know a fascist if one was to bite him on the nose. Mussolini's description of fascism is "All in the state; none out of the state, all for the state."
Another way of describing fascism is "You belong to the state; you will be made to obey the state."

Trump has been a strong Federalist, reducing the power of the state, not increasing it. He doesn't make the so-called journalists obey him, let alone disappear them. Not one has been spied up, unlike the previous president who believed in Mussolini's description. If roesch/voltaire had his way, we'd all be kowtowing to King Joe I and his faithfull Democrat minions.; 9/23/20, 9:26 PM
Tommy Duncan said...: Cedar trees are quite stoic in their natural state. When provoked by careless hikers they are adept at poking your eye out.; 9/23/20, 9:33 PM
Scotty, beam me up... said...: Going back to Google stifling free speech on behalf of the Regressives in a previous post by our blog hostess today...I wouldn’t doubt it if part of Google’s forbidden speech algorithms were written by Google as part of their programming deal with China to help the Chinese root out dissent in the Chinese controlled internal internet system. The scary part is if the Regressives get back into power, will their DOJ work with Google to repress conservatives in order to consolidate their power? Fantasy, you say? Until this past summer, I don’t think too many Americans would have thought that our 20-somethings would turn from the friendly kids next door types to anarchists destroying property and hating our country at the flip of a switch. The left has been indoctrinating our nation’s young in our education system under our noses and these are types working at tech giants and at media corporations just itching to rid our country of the “scourge” of conservatism like they were taught to by their Marxist teachers.; 9/23/20, 9:35 PM
Ralph L said...: The tree looks like a Virginia cedar, which is actually a trumped-up juniper.

A trunk of one was used as a fence post for a dog lot in my backyard in the 30's. I took the rest of the rotten fence down in '98. Several years ago, a 6" diameter, 20' long pecan limb fell down directly on the post--and stayed there. Last year, that tree and another one had nuts for the first time in over 50 years. The back of the trunk is hollow enough for a child to hide in.; 9/23/20, 9:37 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: roesch/voltaire said:

"Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

Trump won't blindly accept the election results without verifying that the Democrats haven't cheated. That's the same kind of statement that Hillary, queen of the Clinton crime family, gave to Joe Biden. Everyone should assume the Democrat will attempt to cheat unless the results are overwhelmingly favorable to Trump.; 9/23/20, 9:42 PM
Ken B said...: Yancey Ward is right. The real story is that all the reports were bogus, based on rumours the reporters never verified.
The press is lying you into civil war.; 9/23/20, 9:44 PM
Krumhorn said...: The animal are at it in Louisville. Two police officers were shot. I hope they survive and recover quickly. As terrible as her death was, the cops serving the warrant did nothing to justify criminal charges. They had nothing to do with obtaining the warrant, and, as it turns out, they knocked loudly and announced themselves repeatedly.

- Krumhorn; 9/23/20, 9:56 PM
MountainMan said...: "Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting"

Junk-mail voting and ballot harvesting already court-approved in WI, MI, NC, and PA.
VA not requiring witness signatures on absentee ballots because of "Covid danger."
DNC has 600 lawyers on staff to litigate every single election they can.
Senate Ds trying to prevent seating a 9th justice on SCOTUS in hopes of forcing 4-4- decisions
Little Napoleon buys ballot access in FL for 32,000 former felons, and perhaps commits a felony himself in the process.

What is so "democratic" about all that? And there is probably more to come.

Trump can only win if he gets beyond the "margin of fraud."; 9/23/20, 9:57 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: Humper: "Just A Gigolo"?

"There is no scenario wherein the son of the Vice President legitimately receives million-dollar wires from the *wife* of a foreign politician.

The Biden family is one of the most corrupt in American politics, and journalists covered for them for decades."

per @davereaboi

(sidenote: "gigolo" origins might be worthy of an Althousian do-up); 9/23/20, 10:17 PM
iowan2 said...: roesch/voltaire said...
Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist.

Biden has been hiring lawyers specializing in election law for 6 months. Tell me again how President Trump is the one being a problem. President Trump. The one the Obama White House, with Joe involved in all the briefings, was spying on? We could ask Joe if he will promise to concede when he loses...but he only takes a very few questions, and no questions that his campaign staff hasn't written.; 9/23/20, 10:30 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Jerry Nadler craps his pants on live TV!; 9/23/20, 10:55 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: My apologies: Mr. I meant to write: Start A RIOT.

Again, I am sorry I wasn't able to comply worthy from the start.; 9/23/20, 11:12 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: Earlier on the magazine thread, I mentioned Humpty Dumpty magazine and its featured comic about a anthromorphic star. I got the name slightly wrong, but I was motivated enough to google around and finally found him:

Twinkle, The Star That Came Down From Heaven.

That was one of his adventures, here is a bit more on his origin, and an even odder bit more.; 9/23/20, 11:22 PM
Ken B said...: How useful, honest, or reliable has the FBI proven itself in recent years?
Not very I would say.
I wonder now if it ever has been. Maybe my leftie friends were right all along.
They did more investigating a hand pull than investigating antifa.; 9/23/20, 11:58 PM
Joe Smith said...: OK...had a few cocktails so please excuse the spelling.

Was perusing YouTube to listen to old-school (good) music as I am wont to do in the late-ish hours.

Because of those goddamned algorithms I came across some live Billy Joel.

The guy was/is a phenomenon...writes, plays, sings...and it's live, there is no computer to save him.

So, question: There may be some who are just as good...but are there any better?

I'm talking about late '70s ('The Stranger' is modern opera) to the early '90s.

I can only think of three others: Elvis Costello, Elton John, and Joe Jackson; yes, different genres but the same age/ability.

Costello was a master of word play with a great 'hook,' but he was just so-so on the instrument side of things (his nickname was 'little hands of concrete,' referencing his sub-stellar guitar playing).

Elton was a terrific piano player with limited vocal range, but Bernie Taupin wrote his lyrics. Elton gets the highest marks for showmanship with Jackson and Joel bringing up the rear (so to speak).

Jackson, on the other hand, was/is one of the greatest piano players I've ever heard (and I saw Stan Kenton, Horowitz, and Bruce Hornsby (a prodigy) live). And on top of that he wrote some of the most poignant lyrics ("Is she really going out with him?") ever penned.

You could throw in Graham Parker and Nick Lowe (who produced a lot of Costello's early music), but in general it's either Joel, Costello, Elton, or Jackson.

Discuss...; 9/24/20, 12:40 AM
buwaya said...: It is a test of true belief in ones opinion of the other side, or possibly both, that statements about a belief in the crisis to come, orthe devilish characterization of ones opponents, should be accompanied by practical preparation. Like arranging to flee, perhaps.

Well, it seems I am the only commenter here that has taken practical measures. I am sincere, I believe all of you. But most do not yet believe the likely worst case is real. Still in argument-entertainment mode.; 9/24/20, 12:49 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: As Justice Ginsburg said "Saul Alinsky make them live up to their ideals" eiditic memory ACB will calmly explain and then "relinquesh" time.

OH MY GOD.

LOVE WINS.; 9/24/20, 12:50 AM
Quaestor said...: Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting...

A subtle falsehood that turns on the omission of an upper case letter.

The democratic process of voting does not include the votes of children, non-citizens, fictitious persons, and the dead. Nor does it tolerate exhortations to vote earlier and vote often. The Democratic process of voting relies on the votes of children, non-citizens, fictitious persons, and the dead to ensure the political ascendency of thieves, scoundrels, traitors, and idiots of the type legally enfranchised voters would rather not see ensconced in seats of power. Thus by the omission of a capital D roesch-voltaire propagates an infamous lie.; 9/24/20, 12:55 AM
MadTownGuy said...: Big Mike said...
"@MadTownGuy, did anyone think to ask Governor Newsom how the California electric grid is supposed to handle recharging millions of electric vehicles when it is already subject to rolling blackouts?"

Unicorn farts, hypothesized Gov. Newsome.; 9/24/20, 2:54 AM
n.n said...: the racial makeup

Diversity.; 9/24/20, 4:42 AM
Rusty said...: roesch/voltaire said...
"Trump just admitted he won’t accept the democratic process of voting and will not peacefully leave the White House;there no longer is a mask covering this Ur-fascist."
Twitchy little guy, ain't you. Man bun too tight? Maybe you and Howard can shop together.; 9/24/20, 5:16 AM
rhhardin said...: Epstein and Yoo on Ginsburg, podcast
Law Talk; 9/24/20, 5:24 AM
I Have Misplaced My Pants said...: Like arranging to flee, perhaps.

You don't understand Americans, despite however many decades you spent here, and that's OK, because you're not one. Sure, one gets tired of the bullshit and harbors escape fantasies (including the Pants household) but ultimately this country was hacked out of the wilderness by our own ancestors who fought, bled and died to create and sustain it. It is still the finest, freest, most stable country the world has ever seen and we'll be damned if we run away to go sit in a cafe somewhere while our forebears' legacy crumbles.

Now, that said, the point is to preserve government based on the principles of liberty, and that may not be geographically possible, so those who are liberty minded need to start finding each other and preparing for what may come. Ken B periodically offers wise advice: if you live in a blue city, move. We need you down here in Texas which will be the core of the future red states of America. Leave the blue coastal cities to the moron goodwhites, the H1B1s who couldn't care less about our constitution, and the welfare serfs who serve the other two classes. Texas cities have their share of the above, which is why we need the rest of you to come help outweigh them.; 9/24/20, 7:21 AM
Andrew said...: @Joe Smith,
I share your admiration for Billy Joel.

To answer your question, how about Mark Knopfler? Singer, song writer, virtuoso guitar player. Plus he wrote the music for Princess Bride.; 9/24/20, 9:44 AM
Yancey Ward said...: I can only think of three others (besides Billy Joel): Elvis Costello, Elton John, and Joe Jackson; yes, different genres but the same age/ability.

I have seen Joel, Costello and Jackson in concert. All three were outstanding live performances, and I saw Jackson in back to back shows he was so good. Of course, I am a long term fan of all four you mentioned- going literally back to the 70s when I was a preteen for all but Costello who I discovered in high school, and he had to grow on me a bit.; 9/24/20, 11:00 AM
narciso said...: I haven't elvis costello, but I saw diana krall in concert, it was rescheduled because she had fallen of a cliff mountain climbing some weeks before,; 9/24/20, 12:24 PM
Michael K said...: the devilish characterization of ones opponents, should be accompanied by practical preparation. Like arranging to flee, perhaps.

We left California for Tucson AZ. I have had a second home here for years so it was not that novel. The city is blue, like all college towns, and there is a large Mexican population but I don't see violence from them. We live in the hills, about 1500 feet above the city and accidentally bought our home in a district that voted for Trump in 2016. It is driving distance from children and grand children in California.

Years ago, I thought of moving to the south of France but we are too old now.; 9/24/20, 1:27 PM
Michael K said...: Texas cities have their share of the above, which is why we need the rest of you to come help outweigh them.

Too far from grand kids. My son is looking but thought Austin was a dump.; 9/24/20, 1:29 PM
stephen cooper said...: Joe Smith - nice comment.

Elton was never actually a real piano player, he was more like one of those guys who pretend to be piano players ---- his real skill was in making those eternal Bernie Taupin lyrics sound so so real. Seriously, when I used to listen to Tiny Dancer, I really really believed he (Elton John) was totally in love with this woman ...

of course he wasn't. Sad, I guess. But whoever Tiny Dancer was, I am sure she got over it. Still it is all so fucking sad.

You mentioned Billy Joel, who grew up near me on Long Island. Props to the guy, he refuses to put out an album that is not up to his standards. Which is why he has not put out an album for the last few decades, that being said, Billy, if you are reading this, Stephen Cooper knows who you are, and admires you, and can guarantee you that you can put our a good album worth of songs any time you like!!!! Trust me, just do it, my little friend.

Costello is sort of weird, he is like Philip Larkin without all the verbal talent - with lots of verbal talent, but not quite with all the verbal talent - and with this weird weird weird fanboy desire to be like "The rock stars of yesteryear" .... It is kind of fucking sad, actually, but that being said, he is interesting to listen to.

I would go on but I - like most of us - rarely get any appreciation for commenting here, and in particular I never get any appreciation for long comments, almost no appreciation at all, so I am gonna just stop here.

If you thought I knew what I was talking about, great, if you thought I wasted your time, well, too bad, you should have been reading the Book of Proverbs instead of my comments.

Start with Proverbs 8, my friends, and go on from there. God will be at your side the whole way to heaven.; 9/24/20, 11:44 PM